Keith Gerein: Edmonton-Centre offers three qualified candidates, and a lot of potential for strategic voting

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It is a strange scenario that Edmonton-Centre, perhaps the most bitterly contested federal riding in our city, is also one of those rare ridings where it is easy to like all three major candidates.

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In a nutshell, Conservative James Cumming is the current MP. Liberal Randy Boissonnault is the former MP trying to become the MP again. And Heather Mackenzie would like to become the riding’s first NDP MP.

They are all smart, accomplished people who have contributed to Edmonton in a number of ways. Or, in other words, this is a nice problem for voters to have.

For a columnist wanting to offer a strong opinion on the riding, it is a far less nice problem.

James Cumming

The former CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce brought a considerable business background to Ottawa with him in 2019, which was recognized in the important economic critic roles given to him by party leaders Andrew Scheer and Erin O’Toole.

He was also lucky enough to draw a priority position to submit a private members’ bill to Parliament. However, his choice to use that gift on a bill calling for the repeal of C-48 (the west coast tanker ban) was disappointing, given that it had no chance of succeeding.

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As to issues of economic anxiety and social disorder that are particularly resonant in Edmonton’s core, Cumming points voters to a package of promises for small businesses. This includes a major expansion of a no-interest loan program, tax credits to people who invest in small business, and a program that would see Ottawa cover a portion of the salary of new hires.

Vows to increase provincial health transfers and invest big in mental health and addictions could help address homelessness in the core, yet I worry the approach borrows too much from Premier Jason Kenney’s hyper focus on recovery and minimization of harm reduction.

Randy Boissonnault

The former Rhodes Scholar missed on out on a cabinet position during his 2015-2019 stint in Ottawa, but relished his appointment as the special advisor to the prime minister on LGBTQ2 issues. Helping to secure federal funding for Edmonton’s LRT, Yellowhead Trail, social housing and the Trans Mountain pipeline can also be claimed on the accomplishment list.

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However, Boissonnault’s performance on the justice committee left a much different impression. In hearings on the SNC-Lavalin scandal, he too often came across as a bully, particularly in his aggressive interrogations of beleaguered justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.

“I learned a great deal from that experience about hyper-partisanship,” Boissonnault said in a recent interview. “I regret my role in that … and I would do things differently if given the chance to serve again.”

He said the past two years have been an opportunity for a reset, both for him and for voters.

Much of the economic rage he heard in 2019 has softened, largely because COVID has revealed a disparity in how the Liberals and Kenney’s UCP have dealt with the crisis, he said.

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As for policies relevant to Edmonton-Centre, Boissonnault said the $10-a–day child care program — which Alberta has yet to sign onto and the Conservatives vow to replace with their own child care plan  — has been popular because it is seen as a good way to get women back into the workforce.

There’s also a proposed Futures Fund that would provide around $1.4 billion to Alberta for the province to design programs on how to transition to more clean energy jobs.

Heather MacKenzie

There are only about 40 homes standing in the city’s new Blatchford neighbourhood, but MacKenzie lives in one of them. It’s no surprise the executive director of a renewable energy non-profit would be attracted to community’s geothermal energy system.

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Like Boissonnault, the former school trustee said anger at Kenney is a common refrain at the doors, though residents are also ticked at the Liberals for the timing of the election.

On the policy front, though I’ve found the NDP platform to be a little thin on specifics, Mackenzie highlights proposals to decriminalize the use of opioids, and make big investments in mental health care, transit and affordable housing (including social housing).

While NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh isn’t the same pariah in Alberta that he was in 2019, I sense there are still a number of Albertans nervous about how quickly he wants to move away from the oil economy.

Mackenzie said the NDP plan is very climate focused but also worker focused, and the party will ensure energy workers have the means to train for other industries.

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In assessing how this all stacks up, two main questions emerge: Will anger at Kenney actually translate into votes for federal progressives? And if so, who will be the main beneficiary?

History suggests this riding is a two-way battleground between Conservatives and Liberals, though when the Liberals win it is usually by tiny margins.

As such, potential vote-splitting on the left again looms as a massive factor. Boissonnault’s hopes to reclaim the seat and the MacKenzie’s push to make the riding a true three-way race are working at cross purposes, likely leaving Cumming in the driver’s seat.

Edmonton-Centre residents will be well served no matter who is elected (all three strike me as cabinet minister possibilities), but I have to wonder if strategic voting might be on residents’ minds as we close in on election day.

kgerein@postmedia.com

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